Method for evaluating and orientating baked product

Abstract

A method 10 for evaluating and orientating baked product includes selecting a baked product 11 that must ultimately be individually evaluated for quality, orientation and packaging in relatively large numbers. A plurality of selected baked product 11 exit an oven 9 at a relatively hot temperature and then cooled via movement on cooling conveyors 12 until being disposed upon a slicer feed conveyor 26 proximate to a vision system 14 and a robot system 16 that are supported via a support structure 18. The vision system 14 evaluates the baked product 11 for quality and orientation. The robot system 16 discards baked product 11 that does not satisfy specifications, and orientates misaligned baked product 11 that does satisfy specifications.

1 . A method for evaluating and orientating a plurality of a preselected baked product, said method comprising the steps of:
 selecting a baked product to be analyzed for quality and orientated for packaging;   programming a vision system to evaluate each of a plurality of a selected baked product to determine if each one satisfies specifications;   programming a robot system to discard each one of a selected baked product that does not satisfy specifications;   programming a robot system to orientate each one of a selected baked product that satisfies specifications;   disposing a plurality of selected baked product upon a cooling conveyor;   moving the plurality of selected baked product proximate to a vision system and a robot system;   determining via said vision system, if a selected one of the plurality of selected baked product satisfies specifications;   removing said selected one of the selected baked product via said robot system, if said selected one does not satisfy specifications;   determining if said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications is correctly orientated via said vision system;   orientating said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications via said robot system, if said selected one is not correctly orientated;   packaging each specification compliant and correctly orientated baked product; and   determining if more baked product is required for an order placed by a customer, whereupon, if more baked product is required, then more baked product is added upon said cooling conveyor, and the added baked product is analyzed, if more baked product is not required, then the method is terminated.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of disposing a plurality of selected baked product upon a cooling conveyor includes the step of directing baked product from a cooling conveyor onto a slicer feed conveyor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of moving the plurality of selected baked product proximate to a vision system and a robot system, includes the step of constructing framework for supporting said vision system such that said vision system is disposed for evaluating quality and determining orientation for each one of said plurality of selected baked product placed upon said slicer feed conveyor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of moving the plurality of selected baked product proximate to a visions system and a robot system, includes the step of constructing framework for supporting said robot system such that said robot system is disposed for discarding baked product that is not specification compliant and for orientating specification compliant baked products that are not correctly orientated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of determining if a selected one of the selected baked product satisfies specifications includes the step of determining via said vision system if said selected one baked product is right side up. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said step of determining via said vision system if said selected one of the baked product is right side up includes the step of lifting and positioning the baked product, via said robot system, in a right side up position if said selected one of the baked product is not initially in a right side up position. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of determining if a selected on of the selected baked product satisfies specifications includes the step of determining via said vision system if the said selected one baked product includes the correct color, size, and toppings. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of removing said selected one of the selected baked product via said robot system, if said selected one does not satisfy specifications, includes the step of lifting each non-specification compliant baked product from the orientation conveyor via said robot system, and discarding each non-specification compliant baked product into a garbage bin via said robot system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of determining via said vision system if a selected one of the plurality of selected baked product satisfies specifications, includes the step of determining if each of the plurality of selected baked product satisfies specification. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of removing said selected one of the selected baked product via said robot system, if said selected one does not satisfy specifications, includes the step of removing each of the selected baked product via said robot system that does not satisfy specifications. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of determining if said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications is correctly orientated via said vision system, includes the step of determining if each of the selected baked product is correctly orientated. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of orientating said selected one of the selected baked product that satisfies specifications via said robot system, if said selected one is not correctly orientated, includes the step of orientating each specification compliant baked product upon the conveyor via said robot system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of programming a robot system to discard each one of a selected baked product to determine if each one satisfies specifications includes a diagnostic system to determine if said robot system is within operating specifications, whereupon, said diagnostic system shuts down said robot system and all supporting systems that cooperate with said robot system. 
     
     
         14 . A method for packaging a preselected baked product comprising:
 establishing specifications for a preselected baked product;   providing a vision system to evaluate each one of a preselected baked product to determine if each one of the preselected baked product is specification and orientation compliant;   providing a robot system that discards each specification noncompliant preselected baked product, and that orientates each specification compliant preselected baked product that is misaligned;   disposing a plurality of preselected baked product proximate to said vision system, whereupon, said vision system determines specification and orientation compliance for each one of said plurality of preselected baked product;   discarding a specification noncompliant baked product via said robot system;   orientating a specification compliant baked product via said robot system; and   packaging each specification compliant and orientation compliant baked product.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a vision system includes the step of programming said vision system to determine color, size, and presence of toppings for the baked product. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a robot system includes the step of programming said robot system to discard specification noncompliant baked product. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a robot system includes the step of programming said robot system to orientate a specification compliant and orientation noncompliant baked product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a robot system includes the step of providing a diagnostic system to determine if said robot system is within operating specifications, whereupon, said diagnostic system shuts down said robot system and all supporting systems that cooperate with said robot system if said robot system is not within operating specifications. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a vision system includes the step of providing an adjustable support structure that three dimensionally adjusts the position of said vision system relative to a baked product. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said step of providing a robot system includes the step of providing an adjustable support structure that three dimensionally adjusts the position of said robot system relative to a baked product.